Fayetteville State University (FSU), a public comprehensive regional university, is one of the 16 constituent institutions of the University of North Carolina System and the second-oldest public institution of higher education in the state. A historically black institution with a rich 137-year history of excellence in education, FSU is also one of the most diverse universities in North Carolina and the nation. In 2002, the dynamic, multi-faceted FSU-RISE Program was begun with the overarching goal of increasing the number of well-prepared Biology and Chemistry FSU graduates entering graduate programs in the biomedical sciences. Based upon the success of the initial program, the FSU-RISE Program has been expanded in this application to include students in the behavioral sciences as well. To achieve the goal of the FSU-RISE Program, activities have been designed to address four objectives focused on student, faculty, and institutional development. A series of phased-in student development activities are designed to strengthen academic performance and provide research training beginning with pre-freshmen and continuing through the senior year. Each year of participation in the program, students build upon skills developed and gain new experiences in preparation for competitive entry into graduate programs in the biomedical and behavioral sciences. Real world research experience is gained through extramural summer internships and intramural research activities. Faculty development and institutional development activities are designed to enhance the research training infrastructure at the institution. The expected outcomes of the continued successful implementation of the FSU-RISE Program are: (1) at least 9 of 12 scholars (75%) entering the program each year will persist in a science or psychology major;(2) 100% of scholars completing the program will be accepted into a graduate program following graduation from FSU;and (3) each year, 75% of the FSU-RISE scholars who graduate will enter a doctoral program in the biomedical / behavioral sciences.